Easy Homemade French Onion Soup
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One spoonful, and you’ll see why this classic French Onion Soup recipe is a favorite! Homemade French Onion Soup doesn’t have to take hours to be rich and flavorful. This version combines deeply caramelized onions, a hearty beef broth, and a crisp, cheesy topping in less time—without sacrificing that signature depth.
If you have long followed me, you know that soup is my favorite food group. Yes, I know that soup isn’t its own food group, but in my world, it totally should be. There is just something so comforting to me about a steaming bowl of homemade soup. French Onion Soup has always been a favorite of mine, and if we are dining out and it’s on the menu, you can bet I am ordering it. It always has such a pretty presentation, and you can’t beat the rich flavors.
Easy French Onion Soup Recipe
Believe me, this recipe is a keeper. Recently, a woman I know who is a trained chef decided to make my recipe. She told me that she had doubts that it could ever get the level of flavor cooking in the shorter time. Then she continued to tell me how surprised she was and how much she and her husband loved it! She made the French onion soup in small cast iron skillets, and I thought – what a great idea!
French Onion Soup Bowls
Several years ago, I bought some fun little French onion soup crocks to make this soup in. They are brightly colored on the outside and white on the inside, and they are sort of shallow, so the bread sits right at the top and gets that perfect “toasty” texture, surrounded by melty cheese! The classic way to serve French Onion Soup is in Lion’s Head Soup Bowls. The porcelain bowl gets nice and hot, and the depth is perfect. But no need to get that fancy; use what you have; it will taste good no matter what.
If you love French Onion Soup, you are sure to love these soup recipes too: Fire Roasted Tomato Soup, Slow Cooked Chicken Enchilada Soup, and this Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup.
Ingredients for French onion soup
For complete ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe card.
- Butter: salted or unsalted butter is fine.
- Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil combined with the butter helps cook and caramelize the onions.
- Onions: I used sliced yellow onions. Sweet onions or white onions will also work.
- Sherry: Dry sherry adds depth and a touch of sweetness to this traditional French onion soup. A dry Vermouth would work as a substitute, or dry versions of Madeira or Marsala wine. A dry white wine would work in a pinch, but the flavor will change somewhat.
- Worcestershire Sauce: My go-to for added savoriness.
- *Kitchen Bouquet: The perfect ingredient for adding color and flavor.
- Seasonings: I used a combination of thyme, salt, and pepper. You can use dried or fresh thyme.
- Beef Stock: Use a good quality beef stock or make your own. You can substitute vegetarian or chicken stock. But the flavors will change.
- French baguette: Toasted French bread adds texture to the onion soup. Or try croutons instead.
- Gruyère cheese: The quintessential cheese for French onion soup makes the soup rich and gooey. If you can’t find it, use Swiss cheese, emmental, or fontina cheese.
*I always add a little Kitchen Bouquet to mine to richen up the broth. If you have never used it, pick some up and try adding to your dark sauces, broths, and gravies. I initially purchased it when I made Salisbury Steak Meatballs, but also added to my Vegetable Beef, Barley and Mushroom Soup, and my Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy joes. I love how it just adds a little something extra!
Be sure to keep reading to find tips and tricks, substitutions, and answers to questions you may have about this easy French onion soup.
How to Make French Onion Soup
You can enjoy this homemade French onion soup in just a few simple steps.
Heat oil and butter in a stock pot, Dutch oven, or wide pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
The onions will become caramelized. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot, and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally to ensure the browned bits don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Add sherry to pot; cook over high heat until sherry evaporates.
Stir in Worcestershire Sauce, Kitchen Bouquet, beef stock, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
Place lightly buttered baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until bread is golden brown and toasted, turning it over once halfway through. Cool.
Ladle soup into oven-safe crocks or soup bowls arranged on a rimmed baking sheet. Add 2-3 pieces of the toasted bread, top with cheese, and place in oven, about 6″ beneath broiler. Set the broiler to high and broil for about 2-5 minutes. The tops will become a deep golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately.
Leftover onion soup will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container or the freezer for up to 3 months. It’s best not to freeze with the bread as it will get soggy. Thaw in the fridge overnight. When reheating the soup, make fresh French bread and grate a little more cheese into the bowl.
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FAQs about this easy French onion soup recipe
- What is French onion soup? French onion soup, known as soupe à l’oignon gratinée in French, is a soup made with a savory beef broth, toasted French bread, and gruyere cheese.
- Which cheese is best for this onion soup? I prefer to use the traditional gruyere cheese, but if you can’t find it, you can substitute it with another gooey French cheese.
- Can I use any kind of onion? Any type of onion will work, though yellow onions are traditional. Whichever type you decide to use, make sure to caramelize well.
More Recipes to Love Next Time
My French Sauerkraut Soup recipe (pictured above) is simply amazing! Or if you love rich, cheesy soups, you should try this Broccoli Cheese Soup, this Creamy Chicken Parmesan Soup, or this Philly Cheese Steak Soup. If noodle soups are more your thing, then this Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup or this Thai Chicken Noodle Soup may be a better choice for you.
As fancy and elegant as this incredible French onion soup recipe is, you don’t need to be Julia Child to pull it together. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
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French Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter salted or unsalted work fine
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 6 small yellow onions sliced, and separated into rings
- 2 Tablespoons dry Sherry
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 (32 ounce) containers beef stock
- French baguette bread sliced into 1/2″ pieces. 2-3 slices per bowl
- 10 ounces Gruyère Cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a stock pot, or dutch oven over medium heat, heat oil and butter. Add onions and cook for about 15 minutes stirring frequently. Onions will become caramel colored. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot, and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
- Add sherry to pot, cook over high heat until sherry evaporates.
- Stir in Worcestershire Sauce, Kitchen Bouquet, beef stock, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
- Lightly butter both sides of each slice of bread and place them on a baking sheet. Bake in oven on 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and toasted, turning it over once, half way through.
- Ladle soup into oven safe crocks, cast iron skillets, or bowls, arranged on a baking sheet. Add 2-3 pieces of bread, top with cheese, and place in oven, about 6" beneath broiler, set to high broil and broil for about 2-5 minutes watching them closely! The tops will become brown and bubbly.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on February 11, 2015. It has been updated to improve user experience and reshared on March 7, 2025.
This is my favorite soup is the WORLD! Yours looks AMAZING!
Beautiful & tasty!
Thanks, Mary!!
This soup looks absolutely AMAZING!!! This is a real must try 🙂